MCBRIDE SIGNS & ENGRAVING SERVICES LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
SC085328 · ltd · incorporated 1983-11-01
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
£76.3k
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Other manufacturing n.e.c.
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 1 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
2 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 42.1y
30/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 42.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
5 officers (1 active, 5 linked, 3 with DOB)
82
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
95 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
77/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £76,348
Cash YoY
-7%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£58k
↓ 6.5% YoY
Net Worth
£76k
↑ 23% YoY
Current Assets
£108k
~ YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £97.8k | £62.4k |
| Current assets | £107.9k | £106.9k |
| Cash | £57.6k | £61.6k |
| Debtors | £47.8k | £42.8k |
| Net assets | £76.3k | £61.9k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
2
filings
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (25 events)Click to expand
- 2025-12-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-12-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-12-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-12-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-03-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-12-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-12-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-12-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2016-12-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-03-09📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2015-12-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-01-30📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2014-12-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2014-03-19📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2012-01-29➖MCBRIDE, William resignedsecretary
- 2012-01-29➖MCBRIDE, William resigneddirector
- 2007-02-07➖MCBRIDE, Agnes Bryson resignedsecretary
- 2007-02-07➕MCBRIDE, William appointedsecretary
- 2006-10-31➖MCBRIDE, Agnes Bryson resigneddirector
- 2000-04-01➕MCBRIDE, Grant John Young appointeddirector
- 1999-05-19🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
- 1990-07-13🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 1984-03-19🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 1983-11-01🏢Company incorporatedAs MCBRIDE SIGNS & ENGRAVING SERVICES LIMITED
Owner dependency
100/100
Critical — business is the founderThe business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
FACTORS
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "MCBRIDE" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 26 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
Succession & seller-readiness
75/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 26 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 42 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Grant John Young Mcbride Individual · British · DOB 02/1973 · age 53 | — | — | sig. influencesignificant influence | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
🔒Co-director network graph
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
Active · Manufacturing · IV postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MINDFUL CREATIONS C.I.C.→ SC536306 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| MORAY FIRTH FABRICATION LTD→ SC829542 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| MUPORION LIMITED→ SC850282 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NORTH COAST COFFEE LTD→ SC728202 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| NOVAR ESTATES (1965) LTD. (THE)→ SC041940 · est 1965 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 61y | — | — |
| PARK POTTERY FINDHORN LTD→ SC753588 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| PATIENCE ENGINEERING LTD→ SC528625 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| PETRO-ELLA LIMITED→ SC467645 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| PHOENIX INSTINCT LIMITED→ SC515587 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| PICCOLO PRESS LIMITED→ SC635337 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| PINEFIELD GLASS LIMITED→ SC411160 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| PJA ROV SERVICES LTD→ SC857927 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
7 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →🔒Advanced scoring suite
Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Company details
Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated1983-11-01
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC32990 — Other manufacturing n.e.c.
Registered office
2 Henderson Drive
Inverness
IV1 1TR
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-02-12
Last: 2026-01-29
Officers (1 active · 4 resigned)
MCBRIDE, Grant John Young→
Activedirector · ~53y · appointed 2000-04-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MCBRIDE, Agnes Bryson→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 2007-02-07
MCBRIDE, William→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2007-02-07 · resigned 2012-01-29
MCBRIDE, Agnes Bryson→
Resigneddirector · ~81y · resigned 2006-10-31
MCBRIDE, William→
Resigneddirector · ~85y · resigned 2012-01-29
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company | Floating charge | 1 property | 19/05/1999 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 19/03/1984 | 13/07/1990 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (95 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-03-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-02-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-12-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-02-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-12-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-03-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-03-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-03-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-12-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-03-07